Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-06-01

I'M ARsAVEL6RV TREE.
A European traveller, ON his way
from the coast of Madagascar to the
capital, Tansnsrivo, in the interior,
had emptie6 his water flask, and was
suffering from thirst. He asked one
OF the natives Of his party when he
should be able to obtain water.
ANY time you like" said the ma
tive, smiling.
Tho European saw no signs oil
springs of water; but the native con-
Quoted him to group of tall, palm
like trees. standing in a cluster on the
edge of the forest, with straight trunks
and bright green, broad leaves, grow.
ing from the opposite sides OF the
stalk, and making the tree appear like
a great fan. The white man gazed
admiringly at the tree.
"You think it is a fine tree" said
the native, "but will show you what
1t is good tor"
He pierced the root OF one of the
leaf-stems, at the point where it Joined
the tree, with his spear, whereupon q
stream of clear water spurted out
which the European caught in his
water can, and found cool, fresh and
excellent to drink.
The party having satisfied their
thirst and taken a supply, the native
who had spoken went on:
''This tree, which is good for US in
more ways than one, we call the
travellers tree"
"But where does the water come
from that the tree contains?" asked
the white man. lis it from the
soil?"
90, no." said the native. "The
leaves drink in the rain that falls on
them, and when it has passed all
through them it becomes very pure
and sweet"
"And are there many of these trees
on the island?"
There are are so many that some
dimes one secs no other trees tor a
mile; and very often we take no psQ-
vision of water when we travel. he.
cause we know that we shall find the
travellers tree"
"And you say there are other things
that they are good torY"
The native answered by asking
another question.
"Do you remember" he said, 'tht
Village that We passed through thi'
morning, with its wooden huts rooted
lover with dawes? Those huts wert
made of nothing but the travellers
tree. The wood splits easily, bu
makes tough planks tor floors, and thu
walls of the houses are made of thu
bark. With the branches we make
the ralter. and leaves cover the roof
| But this is not all that the good tree
does. We ore coming soon to villag,
whose people know, and l will show
lyou more"
The native was eager in his haste t
sho wv to the traveller what the tree still
had in store for him, and the Euro
pean, for his part, felt no little curl
osi.y. They arrived soon at the vii
lage, and the guide conducted tn
traveller to the hut of friend, win
Ireceived them very Hospitality, AM
soon spread meal for them.
First he placed upon d sort of table
spread made of some vegetable sub
Stance, very light and pretty; then h
set beforc'h his guests two drinking YES
sells of material which the man di'
not recognize, and then he gave then
1.-TWO utensils, which, although rude il
shape, served in the stead of knife ant
fork.
In the midst OF the table he placed
large bowl, filled with cream of YER
Iappetizing appearance. In anothe
vessel there was quantity of oil, wit
lalmonds floating upon it.
"Before we begin," said the guide
I"I must tell you what l promised
Everything that there isupon this tabl
lcomes from the travellers tree. 70
see this table cloth? 1t is made of tn
lfibers of the leaves of the tree. Thes
drinking cups, these knives, are mad
of the wood or bark of the tree. Wha
tyou take to be cream is dish made c
1.-THE seeds Of the tree, pounded up wit
meal, and mixed with a kind of mil
ldrawn from the trunk of the tree
.lWhat you think are almonds are littl
cakes made of these seeds, and oil
Ipressed from the skin or shuck of tn
seed. AS for the water you are abo,
to drink, you know that already. An
we get not only these things, but son
of the people of Madagascar have mac
a kind of cloth that they wear out
fibre of the wood"
RIrGuH pAIHA A,inic non